Cody Franson
| birth_place = Sicamous, British Columbia, Canada | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 5 | weight_lb = 213 | position = Defenceman | shoots = Right | league = NHL | team = Chicago Blackhawks | prospect_league = | prospect_team = | former_teams = Brynäs IF Nashville Predators Toronto Maple Leafs Buffalo Sabres | draft = 79th overall | draft_year = 2005 | draft_team = Nashville Predators | career_start = 2007 }} Cody Franson (born August 8, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently under contract with the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted in the third round (79th overall) by the Nashville Predators in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. Playing Career Minor Cody played minor hockey for the Sicamous Eagles in Sicamous, British Columbia, Canada. During the 2003–04 season, he played junior 'B' hockey with the Beaver Valley Nitehawks, a team based out of Fruitvale, British Columbia, in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL). The Nitehawks won the KIJHL championship the year Franson played on the team. Junior Cody went undrafted in the 2002 WHL Bantam Draft. Nevertheless, the Vancouver Giants in the Western Hockey League (WHL) offered him a tryout and he was successful in making the team. He played full-time for the Giants starting in the 2004–05 season, where he put up 13 points. Cody then improved to 55- and 51-point campaigns with the Giants in the next two seasons, respectively. In 2006, Cody helped lead the Giants to the President's Cup as WHL champions, earning a berth in the 2006 Memorial Cup. He then recorded the only hat-trick of the tournament and led all defencemen in scoring, with five points in five games. In the subsequent off-season, he signed an entry-level contract with the Predators in July of 2006, the organization that drafted him in the third round (79th overall) in 2005. The next year, Cody was named to the WHL West First All-Star Team and was nominated for the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the League's top defenceman (although the Trophy was ultimately awarded to Kris Russell of the Medicine Hat Tigers). After falling to Medicine Hat in the 2007 WHL Final, Cody and the Giants captured the 2007 Memorial Cup as tournament hosts, defeating the Tigers in the final. Professional In the 2007–08 season, Cody turned professional and was assigned to the Predators' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals. He tallied 36 points in his rookie season in Milwaukee. On October 17, 2009, Cody played in his first NHL game against the Washington Capitals, notching a single shot on goal. Later that week, on October 22, 2009, he scored his first career NHL goal against Pascal Leclaire of the Ottawa Senators. On July 3, 2011, Cody (along with forward Matthew Lombardi) was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Brett Lebda and Robert Slaney. During the subsequent 2011–12 season, he played 57 games for the Maple Leafs, scoring 21 points and finishing with a plus-minus rating of –1. On October 1, 2012, he signed a contract with Brynäs IF of the Swedish Elitserien due to the 2012–13 NHL lockout. On January 13, 2013, he signed a one-year contract with Toronto as a restricted free agent. On May 13, 2013, Cody scored two goals for the Maple Leafs in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarter-finals of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the Boston Bruins, a game Toronto eventually lost 5–4 in overtime. On July 21, 2014, Cody and the Maple Leafs agreed to a one-year contract extension worth $3.3 million. On February 15, 2015, he was traded back to the Nashville Predators along with Mike Santorelli in exchange for Olli Jokinen, Brendan Leipsic and a first-round draft pick. This marked both Santorelli's and Cody second tenure with Nashville. Despite being ranked as one of the top free agents available during the offseason, Cody did not sign a contract until September 10, 2015 when he inked a two-year deal with the Buffalo Sabres worth $6.6 million total. Over his two seasons with the Sabres, entrenched in a top four role, Cody appeared in 127 games for 36 points, but was unable to help the rebuilding club make the postseason. At the conclusion of his contract following the 2016–17 season, he left the Sabres as a free agent. Un-signed over the summer, Cody accepted a professional try-out contract to attend the Chicago Blackhawks 2017 training camp. After completing camp and the pre-season, he was signed to a one-year deal with the Blackhawks on the opening day of the 2017–18 season Career Statistics Regular season and playoffs International International Play Canada}} Cody was a part of Canada'S 2007 World Junior Championship gold medal-winning team in Sweden. Accolades *Won an Ed Chynoweth Cup (WHL champions) with the Vancouver Giants in 2006. *Won a World Junior gold medal with Team Canada in 2007. *Nominated for the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy (Top WHL Defenceman) in 2007. *Named to the WHL West First All-Star Team in 2007. *Won a Memorial Cup with the Vancouver Giants in 2007. Category:1987 births Category:Canadian ice hockey players Category:Canadian ice hockey defencemen Category:Chicago Blackhawks players Category:Nashville Predators draft picks Category:Nashville Predators players Category:Milwaukee Admirals players Category:Toronto Maple Leafs players Category:Vancouver Giants players Category:Brynäs IF players